Frightful or Fabulous: Lessons and Practices 18-24 August

[Mrs Redboots]

Frightful: The ice! I thought it would be unskateable, but it's odd how you get used to it, and we were working too hard to notice by our lesson!

Robert refused to work on what he should have been working on in his private lesson, and insisted on having a lesson on the Blues. Well, okay, we want to get it into our heads (my edges aren't good enough to dance it yet, but I enjoy playing with it, whatever), but he is supposed to be working on his basics and his Level 3 dances..... So I am not very pleased with him.

Our Swing Dance was "Pretty dreadful!" said our coach - "He's complimentary!" said his wife, who overheard! We gradually got better during the lesson, but we are so very hit and miss as a couple - on our day, we are really beginning to be competitive at our level now, but all too often we seem to be competing, rather than co-operating - and I have no idea what makes the difference!

Fabulous: In conversation, I realised that I get backache on Sunday mornings (and not the rest of the week) because I do so little on Saturdays! Maybe if I got off my a**e on Saturdays I wouldn't ache so on Sundays..... but it's the only day I really get to relax.

My back cross-rolls were still there and I was able to show them to my coach: "Yes, they are getting better!" he said, which is high praise from him! I just wish I wasn't such a wimp as I know they are easier if you go faster, but I get so scared..... I will, will, will improve my back edges this winter!

[JDC1]

Frightful - Didn't skate Saturday because my knee was sore. Skated Sunday and the ice was gross after the ice cut, not sure what the deal was but it was really crunchy and cut up. My LFO edges are still pretty bad, I know it's because I have burisitis in my left hip and have problems with that leg but it FRUSTRATING. I did power pulls and my right ones are actually really nice but my left are tiny, tiny and yuck, which explains why spinning off the LFO edge is so hard. I might play with using the right side tonight see if I have any luck.

Fabulous - I did rotate the flip all the way around again!! Still landing on two feet and I have a feeling I am "lurching" a tad but just to actually rotate it is FAB!! Tried the Salchow, definitely nowhere near getting the timing right, practiced checking the 3 turn and bringing my leg through not around, I tend to want to swing it around. My waltz is BIG I am surprised!!! Both my spirals were really good too but didn't spend much time on them.

[garyc254]

Frightful: I'm in a slump. Elements I passed tests on three weeks ago have taken a trip to the "dead zone". I know it's from lack of practice and ice time. I'll be so glad when September gets here and evening public sessions are more readily available. So, I know the cause and the cure, but it stills bugs me.

The worst part is that I love to get out and skate for fun. Lately, all it has been is lessons.

Nothing Fabulous: I did succesfully do a RFI3. Unfortunately, I was supposed to be doing a RFO3. :oops:

My Monday night coach is on vacation, so I'll get a glorious 1-1/2 hours of fun skating tonight. :D

Not that I don't enjoy or learn in my lessons, but I need a balance of both.

[dbny]

Frightful
I actually forgot the pre-juv 5-step Mohawk sequence! I had to fool around with it several minutes to remember how it goes. This is what comes from not practicing the moves I'm scared of. Of course, I know the only way to get over it is to practice, but that LFI Mohawk still has me spooked even though my coach fixed it last month. Guess I better give it some time of it's own.

Fabulous
I'm actually skating pretty well overall, in spite of having skated only three times in the last two months due to my camping trip. I am still doing something flakey with my hip immediately after my consecutive FO threes, and it is keeping me from getting back to the line for the next one without putting my free foot down, but my control on the turns has improved significantly. I actually practiced the back cross strokes a few times on my own, but I'm now scared to try BO threes without a spot. Don't know if it's the broken ankle (TaraNJ) and wrist (TashaKat) that are getting to me, or just the way it goes right now.

Has anyone heard from TaraNJ lately?

[tidesong]

Frightful
Breaking in new boots isn't easy :) even when they fit. My bad habits return when I am not used to the boots. I kicked around so many of my axels today. At least I did one with a proper takeoff :)

My forward crossovers still aren't good! My backward ones are forever miles better...

I got a bruise on my knee from kicking my own door OWW...


Fabulous
The double salchow is back on track again (on the way to landing but not yet) ... I think that I forgot to check the salchow well enough periodically :) I should stick a reminder on my bedroom wall to " Check the Salchow!!!! " :)

OK. Still no blisters yet. I hope to never get blister from new boots again...

[Alexa]

Frightful--as indicated by Mrs. Redboots above as well--the ice. It was choppy and messy. Luckily they resurfaced the ice, but that was after I did the majority of my skating.

Fabulous--everything! I have been off of the ice for at least a month due to a lot going on and also laziness. I had a great time, and practiced where I left off after my last class a month ago. We were working on advanced forward crossovers, mohawks, backwards stroking, backward inside/outside edges. I did decently well on all of them considering the time off. I was relieved I did not lose a lot of progress.

I plan on resuming lessons in September, and will hopefully progress more quickly then.

[Debbie S]

Frightful:

Tried back edges - I'll need them for Free 2 - and boy, do they need work! I think I held the BI's for about 2 feet before getting twisted around. One of my probs is getting a push-off to start them - the BO's were a little easier.

Still hesitant on the BO turns. I agee with you, dbny - every time I try one, I keep thinking of TaraNJ.

My FI spirals appear to have gone on vacation. Maybe I should go with them? :)

Back spiral scares me, even on flats. I nearly fell on my toe pick.


Fabulous

Since I've got 6 weeks before lessons start again, I decided to try both the things in the next level (toe loop, waltz/side toe hop combo, back edges, spirals) as well as some of the more advanced stuff we tried once or twice in the past session - except for the salchow - just wasn't up to it. I was able to keep my body straighter going into the toe loop and get more lift and my outside spirals were good.

For the more advanced stuff, I got a rotation on the camel spin - didn't try the sit spin, though - and I practiced the layback spin a little. I'm sure Dick Button would not approve of my spinning position, but I am bringing my free leg down less sharply, so that I can actually finish the spin properly and not fall over. I also got a rotation on my backspin. Yay!

I landed a half lutz, although I didn't get much height.

Alternating FO turns are easier with my arms in the "opposite direction" (away from circle)

I am happy to report that while I was watching my tape of the (USFSA) Skating Tribute last year, I was able to identify which 3 turns Sarah Hughes does at the beginning of her "You'll Never Walk Alone" program. Hey, I sure couldn't do that a year ago!

[SusanaO]

Fabulous
My FO3s are getting better, on both sides too. We also tried a little dance sequence which was a lot of fun. However, the most fabulous part of my weekend lessons is that my two foot spin is up to 7 revolutions, which makes me very proud.8) I just need to get more used to the spinning, beacuse sometimes when I pull my arms in and pick up speed I freak out a bit.



Frightful
I tried RFI3s and it was not a pretty sight. Up until now, this is my most dreaded move because every time I try it I end up flat on my back in the ice. I have no idea why I flip during the turn and fall on my back. :evil:

[JDC1]

"I tried RFI3s and it was not a pretty sight. Up until now, this is my most dreaded move because every time I try it I end up flat on my back in the ice. I have no idea why I flip during the turn and fall on my back" SusannaO

I don't fall (I lurch and put my free leg down and go "woo") but I have a very similar problem with my LFI, it takes me atleast 3 botched near falls before I can get a decent one. I've noticed that ususally I am not bending my leg enough to the get the "down - up - down" motion of the 3 turn. My RFI's are pretty consistent but my right leg is my "good" leg.

[jenlyon60]

Fabulous:

Not sure much was fabulous at practice this morning. I had to have blood drawn for some blood tests, so I couldn't eat any breakfast, and for me, skating on a 15 hour empty stomach was not fun.

Actually:

* Alternating back crossovers to back outside edge: Pretty strong and deep lobes, for the most part

* Forward Power 3's: Better on the right side, the choctaw is starting to work more consistently.

* Foxtrot: At a slower tempo, things worked okay. I figured out why I'm dropping my right shoulder... it's more like I'm raising my left shoulder when I start the cross-roll LFO3. Which then throws my balance off during and after the turn. Which gave me a NASTY fall on my right upper shin (STILL painful)

Frightful:

* 14Step: Decided to almost totally abandon me this morning. Messy back progressives, lousy mohawk, lousy timing. I'm going to be kind to myself and chock it up to lack of energy. At one point I nearly fell on my backside doing the forward progressive in the end pattern.

Hopefully tomorrow is better ...

[garyc254]

Originally posted by Debbie S

I think I held the BI's for about 2 feet before getting twisted around. One of my probs is getting a push-off to start them

More proof that BI edges are against the laws of physics. :lol:

[kar5162]

Originally posted by Debbie S
Tried back edges - I'll need them for Free 2 - and boy, do they need work! I think I held the BI's for about 2 feet before getting twisted around. One of my probs is getting a push-off to start them - the BO's were a little easier.

What is Free 2? At any rate, if you are considering taking Pre-Bronze moves, you may be thrilled to know you are permitted to start the back edges from moving - making them (IMO) tremendously easier. The standards also say to expect the 1st lobe to be smaller (so it's ok for adults). The start is definitely the toughest part.

Kim

[sk8pics]

Originally posted by JDC1 about FI3's:
"I don't fall (I lurch and put my free leg down and go "woo")

I'm sorry, but I laughed out loud when I read this because I do very much the same thing, and it always makes my coach laugh, too! He says, "You're making that sound again!" So I can empathize...

Fabulous: Had a great lesson on Friday and on Sunday with my primary coach. My program is just about done, although he keeps fiddling with the beginning and ending. He's also made me work really hard on all my crossovers this past week. Between crossovers, and repeated laps with spirals on Friday, I was completely exhausted by the evening. We also have been doing some stretching off-ice and also running through the program off-ice. All fun, but exhausting!

More Fabulous: Ran through the alternating back crossovers to back outside edges preliminary moves sequence with coach #2 today and they weren't that bad. We also did the 5-step Mohawk again and it was definitely less scary than the first time.

Frightful: Well, not really but pitiful and hysterically funny: By the time I got home Friday evening, after working all day, having a 50 minute lesson on-ice and 20 minutes off-ice, going out to eat with a friend, etc., I was exhausted and a bit sore, so I decided to take some ibuprofen. I opened the bottle, realized I needed to open the water bottle, so I put down the ibuprofen bottle. I picked up the water bottle, opened it, and proceeded to pour the water into my palm!:P :lol: :roll: At that point I decided I'd better just go to bed and get some sleep... LOL!

Happy skating,
Pat

[garyc254]

My Monday coach was on a much deserved vacation, so my ice time was my own.

Fabulous:
Just about everything. Warmed up my edges, picked a corner circle, and didn't leave it for an hour.

Seven step mohawk sequence actually looked graceful, at least to the left. The right was a little shaky, but much improved.

3-turns felt comfortable as long as I didn't go too fast. :oops:

Front and back edges were smooth. :D

Frightful:
Tried a 3-turn with a little speed, caught a toe pick, jerked my upper body, and "pow" there goes my left shoulder again. Couldn't raise my arm and couldn't continue skating.

Time to go back to the doctor. :evil:

All in all, I'm feeling MUCH better about my skating!!! :D

[Debbie S]

Originally posted by kar5162


What is Free 2? At any rate, if you are considering taking Pre-Bronze moves, you may be thrilled to know you are permitted to start the back edges from moving - making them (IMO) tremendously easier. The standards also say to expect the 1st lobe to be smaller (so it's ok for adults). The start is definitely the toughest part.

Kim

Free 2 is my abbreviation for Freestyle level 2 in the USFSA skills sequence (lessons).

That's good to know about the pre-Bronze req., although I'm not sure if I want to compete, but you never know.... I'm not sure my spins will ever be good enough. :)

[JDC1]

Sk8pics you made me laugh! I do stuff like that all the time when I am tired!

Fabulous - Lesson was good - briefly did some spinning and I can rotate about 4 times but my arms are goofy so I have to work on those. We did "double 3's" which was doing the RFO then RBO then LFO and BLO and it was really quite fun! We also did this mohawk thing where you do a mohawk and then cross your leg over and do the next mohawk, that was hard, my left mohawk is pretty weak, I'll practice those Wed. We didn't jump which was good because my ankles and shins were sore.

Frightful - I still have a hard time doing the "beautiful" cross over where I hold my legs out straight and avoid the ugly bendy ankle thing I do. Had some boot woes, tried heel cups, they totally weird out the feel of my boot.

[melanieuk]

Frightful

Jumps were heavy.
I fell on a loop! 8O
My camel spin was awful.
The programme was full of mistakes.
Took me 3 attempts to land a lutz.

Fabulous

I got a few backspins today.
Loop-loop was good in places.
I could do the back spiral.

[flo]

Frightful: I'm in a show on Sunday. I've been switching elements to accomodate my injuries.

Fabulous, or at least less frightful: I went through the gold moves, and could remember the brackets and the one with the three's at the end. We also did the forward power circles, and they were ok. The physical therapist said I can start easing things back into practice soon.
Mrs. Redboots: I can relate to the icky ice. The ice at my home rink use to be the best around, and now htey don't want to cut it very often, and it's gone to pot. The ends are like the continental slope. I'm waiting for one of us to disappear during an end pattern.

[Yazmeen]

Pat: You can't imagine how many times I've taken Advil at night then two minutes later wondered if I took the Advil...ahh, fatigue is a wonderful thing in one's 40's...

Frightful: The fact that skating judges seem to give very little credit for footwork these days...(this will make sense in a moment)...

Fabulous: Wanted a "fun" lesson today--its mucho stress at work--I'm about the only doctor in the hospital not taking anything resembling a week of vacation this month, and as the three others who can read scans are either on vacation or taking boards, its just little ol' me this week, and we're super busy with the "get the study done before school starts" patients. I need to cut 30 more seconds of music into "Minor Swing" to serve as a Freestyle 1 artistic program for me, and the part of the music I want to use is very "boppy"--it sounds like tap dancing, so I asked for my first formal footwork lesson today...

Talk about something that looks easy that is really HARD!!!! We did:

1. "3" step mohawk (forward inside edge, back inside edge, forward inside edge in rapid sequence, looks like tap dancing on ice--it was also primo difficult, starting first with right and then with left). Basically, cute little mohawk "1-2-3's" alternating sides. Perfect for the music I will be adding.
2. LFO3 to pick back with freeleg, spin/pivot skating leg around other toepick, go into next LFO3 and same sequence, end with back extension to relieve dizziness
3. Pinwheels: FO3 with back extension, both sides
4. Footwork FO3's alternating--here you don't get fully backwards--you stay somewhat facing forward, using your arms to help you turn and feeling a "scoop" in the back of your blade with each turn. It sounds weird, but it looks really pretty. At least the way my coach does it, I've got a long way to go, but wow, I could at least do them!!

So for me, my first "successes" with variations on three turns--quite an "egoboo" after last week's tears of frustration. It was great fun, but talk about exhausting!!!!! SO--why DON'T the judges give more credit for this!!!!!! :P

EXTRA FABULOUS:

1. I get to keep my lessons at 6:30 AM this fall (my teen "training partner" needs the earlier slot, so I get to warm up first like I've been doing this summer--YAY!!!) AND I might be able to increase to TWO lessons a week!!! That would be absolute happy, happy, joy, JOY!! :D

2. I have my appointment with Mr. Klingbeil this coming weekend!! My first new set of boots, measured and planned right there at the factory. My hubby will go with me, and we're going to head to the city and have a day in New York. I can't wait--My first NEW set of boots!!! Whoo hoo!!! :) 8) :D

A great day!!!

Beth

[Mrs Redboots]

This is for last night, at Slough:

Frightful: Robert's forward swing rolls are still ghastly, and I notice that on his back ones, he tends only to pay lip service to the concept of drawing a semi-circle on the ice, so his look more like ticks! Which makes it very difficult to follow him in the Swing Dance! My back edges were still ghastly - they are going to take some working on! But I can at least walk through the Blues now, even though I don't skate well enough to dance it. Robert's "Other partner" was there, so I didn't get to do the 14-step with him, and the only other dance I was offered by someone else was a Foxtrot, which I am not yet confident enough to do except with a professional partner.

I had just been watching a video of the Mountain Cup, and had learnt a great deal from it, and was very aware of my own faults! The absolute worst wasn't my skating, but my announcing - whatever do I sound like???

Fabulous: The ice at Slough is always lovely compared to the ice at Streatham. I had a great time dancing with Robert - his "other partner" was late, so we got to do a Prelim Waltz together, which is definitely coming along now. Sometimes I get a glimpse that we are beginning to get things right, which is fantastic! We had a good runthrough of our dances for Bordeaux - even the Swing Dance is improving, slowly.

I am so pleased I finally sat down to watch the video. Yes, we look terrible, but we look a lot better than we did in last year's, which is a start, and a lot of the mistakes I see are stuff which our coach is already addressing. I saw exactly what he meant when he said, on Sunday, that I was on two feet throughout the Swing Dance! I am!!! Anyway, now I know what he means, I can correct it.

The other thing that was great was watching the Bronze couples, the class above us. We won't make Bronze this year, and probably not the year after, but at least we know what to aim for. And, of course, they are doing the Cha-cha, which is one of next year's dances, so we can watch and rewatch and see how it ought to be done (it is only a recreational dance here, so everybody does it differently!). So all good stuff. I hadn't time to watch all of it before it was time to go out, so I don't know if my interpretive is on it. I hope so, as I want to see what needs to be improved (apart from my basic skating!) before Bordeaux, not that there's much time now.

[garyc254]

Originally posted by sk8pics


I picked up the water bottle, opened it, and proceeded to pour the water into my palm!:P :lol: :roll: At that point I decided I'd better just go to bed and get some sleep... LOL!

Too funny!!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: Unfortunately true for many of us.

Lack of rest and too many thoughts in our minds.

[jenlyon60]

Frightful:

* The rink this morning. The dehumidifiers were down for some reason, and the rink was dreadfully foggy. On top of that, I wear my glasses while I skate, and my glasses kept fogging up.

* My first set of Foxtrot patterns to the music.

Fabulous:

* Forward Power 3's: YES YES YES. Coach was very pleased with them today, even the right side. I was very pleased with them also.

* The last mohawk on my last pattern of Foxtrot: Very nice and smooth. Actually the last set of sequences of Foxtrot I did to the music weren't bad... it's getting better and the Foxtrot music was starting to feel closer to comfortable.

--jsl

[Debbie S]

Originally posted by flo
The ice at my home rink use to be the best around, and now htey don't want to cut it very often, and it's gone to pot. The ends are like the continental slope. I'm waiting for one of us to disappear during an end pattern.

flo, are you talking about Ice World? I've been going there for the first freestyle session on Sundays, and I agree it's been awful lately. I had heard it was b/c their compressor wasn't working right. A couple of weeks ago, I had a misadventure with a toe loop - I took off and my toe pick slipped in the mush, and I ended up on my rear :(

What days do you practice there? Or are you usually at NW?

[flo]

Hi Debbie,
Actually I was talking about Northwest. I haven't been to Ice World very much this summer, but may go tonight or Wednesday. I have been at NW on the weekends. I did hear that Ice World does have a new skating director, but I don't know who it is.

[Debbie S]

Thanks for the update about Ice World, flo. It's good that they found someone. I was considering switching to Mt. Pleasant if the instructors made an exodus there - I know they all really liked Carla - I guess I'll wait and see what happens in the fall.

I know what you mean about NW - I went there a couple of times during the public sessions last winter, and the ends do get scary.

The ice at Ice World was a little better this past Sunday - hopefully, they solved their problems. I'll probably switch to either the Tues. or Wed. 5:30 sessions starting next week - since the Wed. lessons are over. Maybe I'll see you there sometime!

[MissIndigo]

Everything today felt like a total flop. I could not get my jumps off the ground very well, even my sal, which is usually rock-solid. I was scared out of my mind to try the loop from the mohawk entry, so I didn't. Did two that were supposedly quite nice from RFI 3's, but at speed, a RFI 3 is a very scary thing for me to do. This was the first day I could ever remember getting visibly frustrated in front of my coach--kind of surprised her. I was just not into the "zone" at all for some reason.

About 15 minutes into the lesson I was able to skate into a sal so at least I felt better about that. Toe loops were actually pretty good today, and today's bright spot happened on one of those. I must have checked that thing hard--I got fantastic spring on it and when I thought I was supposed to land, I didn't, and kept rotating, and landed nearly skating forward. It was almost a double! (And when is that going to happen again? :roll: lol)

My normally solid spins decided to go on vacation for a while. Camel set up camp at a desert oasis somewhere and informed me it would not be back until next week. Played around with his cousin the flying camel though--still having fun working on that. Didn't fly today since I didn't feel too steady, but worked on back camels some.

Attitude spins good, sit spin attempt was good. Found out that leaving the top hook undone on my skates was neither here nor there for the spin--couldn't get my ankle to bend much either way to aid with the knee bend.

[Anita18]

Frightful
Flip! I can't straighten the 3turn! I need major work on this, LOL...need to retrain my body into doing a different sort of 3 than I'm used to....
Camel. I'm on a horrendously deep BI edge, but one of them felt pretty balanced today. Got around twice - progress!
Forward scratch. Can't...center....Ewwww...I think the ice at my regular rink is just too hard, because it feels like I really need another sharpening, but if I go to the bigger rink downtown, my edges are fine, LOL. Well, I'm leaving for college next week so I'll see how the ice is there.
Fabulous:
Brought a fellow skating fan with me to the rink today - I'm trying to convince her to take lessons, LOL...it was fun though.
Backspin! I feel like I have the entrance right at last! When I pulled in, I actually got faster! Whee!
Sit spin. Well, some were bad, but I just need to stretch my free leg and swing it all the way around to get a good sit. LOL I had a really good stable one which I held for what it felt like forever. Two other skaters were watching me and they told me that I was smiling as I was spinning, LOL....:D
Loop. It feels really nice, but I've been wondering if I cross my free foot too much on the entrance. Is there such a thing?
Salchow. I'm feeling it! Whee!

Anita

[jazzpants]

WAAAAH!!! I bashed my right knee again and I can't bend my knees real deep w/o pain. If it's still bad by tomorrow morning, I'm going to see a doctor... :cry:

And what element cause the knee bash??? CROSSOVERS!!! :roll: (I guess I wasn't kidding when I said that I'm going to get good crossovers even if it kills me!!!) :P

Cheers,
jazzpants

P.S. At least my lesson on Monday night was better...

[Mrs Redboots]

Wednesday's lesson and practice:

I'm going to have trouble dividing this into frightful and fabulous, as it was all both! Mostly fabulous, actually.

I arrived just as the ice was being cut, so although it wasn't brilliant, it was better than it has been for some time. But the "hump" in the centre is getting worse - you can stand in the middle of the centre circle and get to just about anywhere in the rink without doing anything, just allow gravity to work! By the time my coach arrived, I'd walked through the Blues, the Willow Waltz and the Swing Dance. Spent almost all my lesson on back edges, which I wanted - pretty desperate, but improving slowly. Ran through my Free Dance and actually got complimented on it! Not from my coach - that would be too much to ask - but from another coach who was watching. "You are skating so much better now!" I also ran through my Interpretive routine. After my lesson, the ice was pretty empty except for a learn-to-skate class coned off at the top end of the rink, so I spent a long time re-laying my Interpretive. Not re-choreographing it; I do the same steps, but changing the pattern so it isn't just going round and round like a compulsory dance. I hope this will improve matters. I am really looking forward to being rid of it! I am so bored of it, but it has one more outing and then it is binned.

[tidesong]

Originally posted by MissIndigo
[I]Found out that leaving the top hook undone on my skates was neither here nor there for the spin--couldn't get my ankle to bend much either way to aid with the knee bend.

Hmmm looks like you have to break in your boots more or something... and you said you've had them for very long so I have no idea... Well, hope you eventually find a breakthrough in something that lets you get down in your sit :) (Maybe there are more reasons then the stiff boot)

[MissIndigo]

Originally posted by tidesong


Hmmm looks like you have to break in your boots more or something... and you said you've had them for very long so I have no idea... Well, hope you eventually find a breakthrough in something that lets you get down in your sit :) (Maybe there are more reasons then the stiff boot)

I'll just have to keep trying--I know I can get this. I won't give up on leaving the top hook undone though...I will say I did notice a bit more bend but I need to get used to not having the support of that top hook. Something will work for me soon enough.:)

[batikat]

Haven't skated much over the summer due to hockey school, coach away and work to do for my college course but I did go to the club patch last week and again this week. Last week my kids came and gave me some useful tips, eg. 'Mum don't bring your arms in so slowly on the spin - you're like a creaky old swing bridge!'; 'Mum, you're on your toepicks again (while I'm skating backwards)'; 'Mum - it's supposed to be a jump not a step', etc etc.:roll:

This week I was on my own as daughter is at Grandmas and son was too lazy, though he promises to come along tomorrow!
It was very quiet with only me and one other on the ice for the last half hour so I was able to practice some backwards stuff which is usually difficult with people around.

Anyway I can't remember what the titles are supposed to be so I'll put in the smilies instead

:D
I managed a fast, centred, 6 rotation, spin and was able to do it more than once - if only I had had my camera I would have taken a photo of the tracing and had it framed!!!
I remembered the pattern for the Golden Skaters Waltz and the Riverside Rhumba and even managed a few half decent rondes on the latter.
Backwards skating - OK it wasn't perfect but it was good compared to what I usually manage, possibly because I find it easier at speed and with no-one around I wasn't afraid to go fast and didn't have to keep looking round for people.
Jumps - toe- loop and salchow - I took off: I landed - what more do you want?!! Ok, I'm not quite sure what I was doing in the middle but I was at least getting some speed into them.

:(
double 3's - I'm sure these are possible - just not sure how. I am determined to get these so I can put them in next years free dance! I can just about do them when I am more or less at a standstill but need to be able to do them while moving.
Jumps- can't quite get the arms to do what they are supposed to. I know you should bring them in to rotate but it all happens so fast that I have landed and my arms are still where they were when I took off!! Guess I need to get a bit more height to give me more time to actually move them!!


Only a few more weeks of the school hols and then I can get back to my proper skating routine....

[melanieuk]

I had the ice to myself with my coach.
The programme went well enough - only because I had an half hour warm up. The test only gives 2.5 mins warm up ...(NO skating at all beforehand!)
She advised me to try for the FMs test first, then I'd be fine for programme after it, since I'd be warmed up. It IS the answer, but the FMs are level 4, and my free test is level 2! No that it matters, but I'm using the level 4 test as a warm up for the level 2, which seems odd to me!

The FMS are dodgy so I won't be testing them, therefore I won't be testing the Free either. :?
Coach said she'd take me for more FM lessons so that I get the proper practise in, that I need.
8O

Why did I say I needed a longer warm up? True, I do use those FMS as my warm up, but to test them first?? :twisted:

I had frightful parallel spins - trying too hard on the entrance edge, leaning too far forwards.

The backspin got a "That's fine, I'll take that, stop there!" :lol: :lol:
(the best bit about the whole lesson!).

I put the sit spin back in the programme, instead of the unreliable parallel. I can still flip after the sit, even though I can't see straight, so there is hope! ;)

I hope everyone's injuries are healing. :P

[jenlyon60]

I'm going to start with the Frightful because there was MUCH MORE frightful today than Fabulous...

Frightful

* Dehumidifiers not yet fixed... another foggy day at the rink.

* Dumb mistake on the right side of the forward power 3's and I fell on the LAST RFO3 of the pattern.

* Chicken factor returned in vengence on the Foxtrot to the music... I WILL conquer this beast.

Fabulous (or at least not totally rotten)

* 14Step: Could have been better, but I did all 3 patterns to the music

* We had the cones out to mimic the narrower rink... this was for the teams heading to NACS Huntsville today, but helped me also.

* Alternating back crossovers... felt good even if I was a bit not upright right at the end.

* Forward power 3's choctaw LBI-RFO. If I remember to keep my back upright nice AND bend my left knee at the same time, the choctaw becomes a piece of cake...

[Mrs Redboots]

Originally posted by batikat
I remembered the pattern for the Golden Skaters Waltz and the Riverside Rhumba and even managed a few half decent rondes on the latter.

What helped me with the latter - I take it you're working for Level 3 compulsories now? So are we, although I'm credited with them (but my coach says he reckons my edges wouldn't pass on the Riverside, the dirty rat..... :mrgreen: Anyway, what helped me with the rondes is remembering to make them properly semi-circular..... why do I have to re-learn this on every single dance - I'm an intelligent woman, yet I cannot correlate information I learn on one dance with the same steps on the next one!


:(
double 3's - I'm sure these are possible - just not sure how. I am determined to get these so I can put them in next years free dance! I can just about do them when I am more or less at a standstill but need to be able to do them while moving.
I find the easiest doubles are FI-BO 3s; make sure you can do a FI3 with a certain amount of flow going out of it, then hold the edge a beat, rock to the back of your blade, then do the BO 3. If I can do them, you can! I can't yet do a back double 3 yet, though, which annoys me - I don't have quite enough flow coming out of the back 3-turn. Although if I do it as a twizzle, with no pause in between the turns, it flows beautifully, go figure, as the Americans say.....

Skating at Slough tonight, then a day off tomorrow, and then the ice dance weekend at Bristol. Are you going to it?

[tidesong]

Originally posted by Mrs Redboots

I find the easiest doubles are FI-BO 3s; make sure you can do a FI3 with a certain amount of flow going out of it, then hold the edge a beat, rock to the back of your blade, then do the BO 3.
...

Although if I do it as a twizzle, with no pause in between the turns, it flows beautifully, go figure, as the Americans say.....



Hello there! finally I get a definition of a twizzle... is that what that is? how do you do it?
Do you extend your legs between the double three turns or do you keep them in? I have tried doing both and found that it is easier to bring my free leg in to turn on my weaker side but I can do them anyway on my stronger side.

[tidesong]

Frightful
Not very much. My toe-loop is on hold, I have figured out the picking straight part but haven't figured out the kicking straight out part :)
I was too tired to continue skating after two and a half hours so I went home

Fabulous

Had my lesson today. Coach taught me the flying camel in serious. He had asked me to play around with it first. I managed to spin at the end of some of them!!! 8O And I couldn't even straighten my skating leg but I was spinning in a recognizable camel position !!!! :)
Now I got to go figure how to straighten that leg

I had six rounds on my layback! (witnessed by coach :) )

I did two salchows that my coach said were about as high as my axels. Thats good... now all I have to do is combine those salchows with the ones I rotate fully (the doubles) but didn't jump high enough... (why do they come separately???)

I did a inside-outside edge spiral without losing too much speed... heh heh :p My previous attempts were done at nearly zero speed

Not so fabulous
My axel is back, but still not at its previous percentage... My boots are still laced up with one left... but with the way I spin and jump I should be able to lace them up end of next week.

[melanieuk]

Frightful

Camel spin.
RBO 3s with mohawks.
Toe loop (after flip)

Fabulous

A couple of backspins, lutzes, loop-loops (just)

[Mrs Redboots]

For Thursday at Slough:

Fabulous: The ice, as usual! Managed to get some really good back edges, but I still wobble all over the place; I am simply not secure on them.

Frightful: Still can't do an inside3 or Mowhawk from a held inside edge - my upper body just won't turn! How come it will on an outside edge now? I suppose practice makes perfect.....

Bloody car has broken down so no way can we go to the Ice Dance weekend in Bristol, and I was really looking forward to it - I have just looked up train fares and it is too late to get a cheap fare. :cry: :cry: :(

And still no news of when our phone line will be ready to install the equipment to go broadband, either. :(

[Mrs Redboots]

Originally posted by Mrs Redboots
Bloody car has broken down so no way can we go to the Ice Dance weekend in Bristol, and I was really looking forward to it - I have just looked up train fares and it is too late to get a cheap fare. :cry: :cry: :(
Stop Press Husband has just rung up to say he can borrow the pool car from work (which he has been using today anyway), so we can go after all! :D :D :D Yaaay!

[kar5162]

Frightful and Fabulous...

Had a basics/moves/lots of crossovers lesson this week. Fabulous was that it was fun :) and that I learned some things to help my crossovers and back double 3s for Intermediate moves. Frightful was doing the crossovers while the coach held my left hand and right hip to keep my body properly aligned (well, to try to anyway :)). I'm not sure I really like skating that close to someone. On one hand I knew that if there was anyone I could skate so close to without tripping, it was him...on the other hand I couldn't quite convince my brain we weren't going down. And finally...both fabulous and frightful...well, frightening...was the amount of SPEED you can generate that way. Exhilerating and yet I was sure we were going to crash into one of the many other skaters on the ice at the same time. (Luckily we didn't.)

Kim

[Anita18]

Frightful
It takes me 10 minutes of bad backspins (falling, etc) to get a good one! Arghghgh! I panic because I'll think that I've lost it, LOL. Wish I could get that more consistent...
Scratch spins still not any more consistent. Well, at least most of them get up to the point of crossing the foot over and then my balance screws up.
Camel. A skating friend told me my leg wasn't high enough (it was close) and that my free foot was turned in. So, I tried to concentrate on position - that's so hard, LOL!
Still can't straighten that darned 3turn enough for flip - did land one today but it didn't feel "nice."
Tried doing a figures circle (it should have been a figure 8 but these hockey guys kept interrupting the second part of it, LOL) and I can't check the upper body when I'm on my RFO edge. I get about halfway around and then I have to fight to keep still. The circle is sooo lopsided, LOL.
Lil hockey guys chasing each other around the rink. Crashed into one while doing back crossovers. Didn't see him coming at all, LOL. Slid about 5 feet, but I think I hurt him more than he hurt me. (I've had more practice at falling, LOL! :P )

Fabulous
I can stop my scratch spins really quickly by sticking my free toepick in the ice, LOL. Don't know how I could do that all of a sudden, but a couple days ago I found out I could do it, LOL. So, even if my scratch spins are bad, I can still end 'em with style! :P
Sit spin! Whee!
Landed the lutz twice! Still slightly underrotated, but I didn't bash in my tailbone! Yippee!
My LFO circle is pretty good, getting more even. I think my RFO edge used to be better too...this is really weird, LOL!

Anita